How active were you at 38-39 weeks pregnant?

[RavensNest]

I realise it must be tough for those with young children. This is my first baby and I'm 38 weeks today. 1 more week to go before planned CS.

I'm wondering if I'm doing too much or too little and what the norm is at this stage? I feel exhausted after doing an hour of household chores, but expect this is normal. If you didn't have other DC to look after, what did you do with yourself first those last couple of weeks before the birth?

I had planned to work right up until I went into labour...in reality I was so uncomfortable and exhausted from lack of sleep that I went on mat leave at 37 weeks.

I was doing very little at 38 weeks. Feet up, watching lots of box sets and crappy films. In hindsight, this was the best plan as when DS was born all hell broke loose!

Stick the kettle on, open the biscuits and put your feet up

I could do quite a lot at home. Worked up until 38 wks, could manage the work without issue (a desk job) but the issue for me was needing to pee constantly on the commute, in fact anywhere I went.

I worked full time up until 39 weeks with my first baby, but I was exhausted from about 36 weeks and the minute my maternity leave started I did very little other than rest and nest!

I worked a 40 hour week until the Friday, went in for a pre planned induction on the Wednesday. Carried on going to the gym 3-4 times a week and did a full spin class the morning of my induction day.

The irony is I've not set foot in the gym since. DC is almost 2 now!

I was on the sofa with a bottle of Gaviscon in one hand and the remote control in the other, wondering why an elephant had its feet balanced on the chair in front of me, then remembering they were MY giant puffy feet. I didn't put a lot of weight on but my ankles were swollen like balloons and weren't very aerodynamic to say the least. So I was slow and awkward and did very little from about 35 weeks.

I got out of bed to go to the loo every few hours

I had horrid SPD both times.
First time by 39 weeks I'd been snowed in for 3 weeks. My bump was so humungous I hadt to turn sideways to reach the kitchen tap and could no longer wash-up. I couldn't sit on the sofa in the daytime when there was no one to drag me off, and spent my days in bed, on the loo or on a dining room chair playing computer games. My hands were numb from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome too.

Pregnancy 2 I kept more active on crutches. I had the world's most tantrummy toddler and our mutual idea of an accessible outing was to stagger from a P&C space to the supermarket cafe and back home again. My bump was smaller which meant I could fit behind the steering wheel this time! My MW appointment was at 39+6 and I'd gone past DS1's birth gestation so I staggered 400m downhill to the MW on my crutches then got the bus home as it was impossible to move my leg to walk uphill. Spent the rest of the day in bed with backache and was hugging a new baby shortly after midnight I'm sure it was my epic feat of endurance that did it!

I had a tiny bump that didn't really affect me so I just carried on as normal to the end.

I took holiday and early may leave from 30 weeks. I had low blood pressure and fainted whilst driving so didn't commute after that.
I could walk around a mile or two at 38 weeks - it was pretty uncomfortable though. Housework, maybe an hour, pregnancy yoga and TV mostly. I had 11 weeks before baby arrived, it was great!

DC2... My bum hardly touched a seat whole pregnancy, so I was glad I made the most of it first time round!

I had my Daughter at 37+4 but I was putting blinds up, painting, decorating and building the cot the days before I was induced.

At 39 weeks I was waddling around like a puffed up duck.

With my first I could lounge around on the sofa all day. With my second I had to look after the first so was more active.

Yeah, as above, mainly nail appointments, lunches, lying down and generally doing stuff I wouldn’t be able to do as easily for a while. That might include exercise if you’re into it. I’m not 😅

I could barely walk so not very! I did go swimming once or twice a week but my hips always paid for it the next day. I went on mat leave around 36 weeks.

I had my son at 38+6 so I was giving birth at this stage lol.

My daughter was born at 40+2 but at 38+6 I was with my son at the soft play for his birthday lol. I could barely move but I had to just keep going.

I worked a very physical job and long hours with my first and was 37 weeks when I finished. I was absolutely exhausted and in pain, but I just felt better to keep moving. Baby came 9 days later. I wish I chilled out more and took things slower. 2nd baby I did despite having the 1st to look after I made sure I rested and put my feet up on the sofa!

I worked up until 38 weeks, and cycled 10 miles a day (for exercise) up until 39 weeks (I gave birth at exactly 40 weeks). To be fair, I had a tiny bump I suspect each pregnancy and each woman feels things differently - do what you feel you're capable of but don't overdo it!

With ds1, by then I was doing SFA unless DH made me go for a walk (and I went to 42 weeks with him so that was quite a few weeks of inactivity ). I would think myself a very active and frankly amazing person if I put a wash on and walked to the shop in the same day! I mostly took baths and read books and complained on LiveJournal that my child would never be born.

With ds2, I had a toddler and had learned from the pregnancy with ds1 so was very active right up until labour; in fact three days before that I massively annoyed my DH by getting into a screaming argument with a bunch of teenagers bullying another outside my house and then chasing them down the road. Probably terribly unsafe behaviour but my birth with ds2 was a dream and I like to think that's because I was still bopping around acting like a non pregnant person throughout.

Ds3 I worked until the Thursday and had him on the Monday because he surprised the feck out of us by not waiting until ages past his EDD to be born, unlike his brothers, so I was fairly active- full time job, commute, two school age children to wrangle. By that stage of my life exhausted was my default state so other than having a huge bump to feck my balance up and hips that felt like rubber bands there was hardly any difference anyway.

Do whatever feels good for you, and good luck :)

On your first baby I would advise you to put your feet up and do nothing, or at least only nice things! It’s the last time you will have the luxury of it. It’s a lovely time (though you might not realise it at the time).

I finished work mid December and DD was born mid January so I had a good long stretch of "preparing for baby's arrival" (eating Christmas food and watching Christmas TV and later eating leftovers and watching a lot of Agatha Christie dramas). I'd been working long hours in a busy and stressful job and I was huge and tired so I made the most of the opportunity to rest

I was very active but was lucky to have quite an easy pregnancy, especially second time around.

The day after my due date I walked 20,000 steps (she was born that night!)

Honestly though the last weeks of pregnancy you can basically do whatever you want so make the most of it. If you want to lay on the sofa all day watching box sets, do it! It may be your last chance for a bit.

Had DD at 38+4. I worked up to 36+1. Had horrible PGP, so by the time I went on maternity leave, I just wanted to lie on the sofa and eat.

I did things like washing baby clothes and accepting online supermarket deliveries, but that was about it - except for the meeting I had to go into work for at 38+2. I kept wondering why my sides and back were aching. I thought it was just late pregnancy discomfort. Turned out it was labour! Waters went early 38+4 and DD was born at 22:45.

DS1 - sat on my arse eating cake watching box sets, met friends for lunch, day baths and naps
DS2 - ran round after DS1
DS3 - see above

Do what you like and you feel happy to do. Don't worry too much about what anyone else has done but if I could pick any of the three times again it would definitely be the one with cake and naps

I went on Mat leave at 37 weeks. Spent a week just lying round watching telly and then had DD at 38 weeks.

Second time round I was obviously running around after a 3 year old but not doing anything particularly energetic. I remember taking her for a long walk when I was 39+6 weeks but walking was about all I did

Was in the gym, swimming, and going for lots of long walks until I had the baby at 41 weeks last time.

This time I’m starting to struggle with horrendous PGP already at 22 weeks and I’m worried I’ll be on crutches by my third trimester!

I was going to the gym to see my trainer and walking 10-20k steps a day! I realize I'm an outlier though - movement was one of the only things that helped with my crippling nausea...

Oh yeah, and I was working full time right up until my ELCS date. So commuting and worked a big event at the weekend right before I had DS. I'm not very good at taking it easy...